With the continuing introduction of user convenient electronics devices, the improvements on the vehicular mobile office continue. For example, in U.S. Pat. application No. 08/359,398 a reversible mount for a telephone was disclosed. The reversible mount enabled the mounting of a portable cellular phone with the use of either a bracket telephone-mount interface or with the use of a hook and loop fastener interface between the telephone and mount. The bracket system was attached to a vehicle dash or console, by any acceptable means. The manner of attachment involved either a pivoting hinge or an attachment bracket having a fixed angle.
The reversibility enabled the user to quickly reverse the mount to expose either the bracket side of the mount or the hook and loop side of the mount. The first surface of the bracket support included a strike plate in order to withstand the wear associated with the mounting of the male member of the bracket attached to the telephone. The second surface of the mount included one of either hook or loop material, preferably of loop members, which engage a complementary surface of hook members which may be attached to a portable cellular phone.
It is advantageous to have the ability to record messages in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, particularly when a telephone is present. Not only may the user record ideas, thoughts, and notions when they occur, but the user can record and summarize the content of telephone conversations. However, the presence of independent recording equipment, which may loosely be carried in the passenger compartment can cause a hazard both because it may undergo movement during driving and may cause the driver to have to hunt for it when it is needed. Either distraction to the driver can be a source of danger and inconvenience.
What is therefore needed is a recording device which includes the ability to independently record messages and memos. Such a device will ideally be positionally fixed within the driver compartment and positioned so that the driver can have easy access. Even more ideally, the recording device should be located in the proximity of the cellular phone so that it can readily be used to record any details of the conversation which are critical. This is especially useful where the cell phone has a speaker which can produce audible sound sufficient to reach a closely mounted microphone associated with the recording device. The recording device should operate independently of the cellular telephone to give independent value to the vehicle operator during the times when the cellular telephone is not present.